Article carrier



Oct. 29, 1,957 E. L. ARNESON ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Oct. 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR. lazxuzlavza orz,

Oct. 29, 1957 E. L. ARNESON 2,811,279

ARTICLE CARRIER I Filed 001.. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Paten a ARTICLE CARRIER Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Federal Paper Board Company, Inc., Bogota, N. J., a corporation of New York Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 389,059

Claims. (Cl. 220-113) The present invention deals with improvements in flexible paperboard carriers for bottles and similar articles of like size and shape, in which soft drinks and beer are commonly sold. More particularly, the invention provides an improved carrier featuring, in general, acartonlike carrier body having a longitudinal central partition connected at its ends to a pair of opposed end Walls and extending parallel to opposed side walls, which side walls are connected at their lower margins by a bottom forming panel, together with a separate divider unit which subdivides the space in the body on each side of the longitudinal partition into individual cells. The bottom forming panel and longitudinal partition of the carrier body are provided with vertically aligned slots in which upstanding legs of the divider unit are disposed, with the legs upwardly straddling or nesting onto the longitudinal partition and with a connecting panel of the unit in engagement with the bottom panel. An article carrier of this general description is illustrated and described in the patent to Holy, 2,576,179 of November 27, 1951.

It is an object of the present invention, in one phase thereof, to provide improved means to define in the longitudinal central partition the above described upwardly extending slots by which to obtain straddling or nested engagement of the separate divider unit with the partition, whereby a substantial saving in the cost of manufacture of the carrier is made possible. This is done by forming the longitudinal partition of two constituent panels, one being wider than the other and having a single upwardly extending slot notched therein and the other panel having an edge margin so shaped that when it is brought into edge juxtaposition relative to the first panel, a second upwardly extending slot will be outlined at the joint of the panels. A considerable reduction is thus effected in the size of the paperboard blank required for the body of the carrier, with a corresponding reduction in its cost of production, as compared with the alternative procedures of forming two slots in a single panel or a single slot in each of two constituent partition panels.

As a further refinement of the improved carrier features, the invention contemplates the provision of a strongly reinforced handle construction for the carrier, of multi-ply construction throughout the length and height thereof. Parts of this handle serve as locking means joining the two edge-abutted partition panels as components of a well reinforced, unitary longitudinal partition and suspending assembly. In order to do this, outer and inner plies of the handle structure are adhesively secured to the panels of the longitudinal partition, so as to hold the same in proper edge to edge relationship as the paperboard blank progresses through a folding and gluing machine; and upon completion of the folding operations on the carrier body the constituent panels of the partition are firmly anchored, with slots produced by the provisions described above positioned to register vertically with correspondingly spaced slots in the bottom of the carrier body when the same is erected. Upon upward insertion of a separate U-shaped divider unit into the registered 2,811,279 1C6 Patented Oct. 29, 1957 slots the completed carrier is strongly held in box-like erected condition, being a very stable unit well suited for loading by automatic loading equipment at a bottle manufacturing or bottling establishment.

Another general object of the invention is to provide an improved carrier handle construction of the character described in the preceding paragraph in which the outer plies are finished, hence well adapted to be printed or ornamented. These plies nest over the other plies of the handle, including the upper part of the panels of which the longitudinal partition is composed, entirely concealing the same from View.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an improved article carrier of the above sort in which an integral handle unit isformed of a pair of internal end flap members folded inwardly toward one another to coplanar relation and each terminating on its inner edge in a laterally projecting shoulder. A pair of external plies or panels are nested downwardly over the thus infolded flaps, and one of the external panels is provided with a hand hold aperture adjacent which a depending hand hold tab is integrally connected by a horizontal crease. This tab is folded upwardly 180 about said crease and about the end shoulders of the inturned flaps, being then secured in position so as to anchor the flaps during and after the ensuing operations on the carrier body. In one of these the other outer panel of the handle unit is folded 180 downwardly and secured in covering relation to the flaps and tab, thus effectively locking the flaps and the tab. The downfolded panel is also secured to the pair of edge abutted longitudinal partition forming panels described above, of one of which one of the flaps is an integral part, so that the locking means for the handle elements additionally locks the longitudinal partition panels in intended edge to edge relation, to provide a pair of upwardly extending slots in the bottom of the resultant longitudinal partition. 7

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the improved carrier. 7

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of illustration. It will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:'

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a flexible paperboard blank from which the box-like body of the improved carrier is fabricated, illustrating the manner in which the same is initially died out, creased andpreliminarily glued;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank following initial folding operations; 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in plan illustrating the next folding operation, whereby certain handle parts are locked in position, the view also indicating a subsequent application of adhesive;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the partially completed article following a still further fold, another ensuing application of adhesive being indicated by stippling;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the completed article carrier body in a flat, knocked-down condition thereof;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a separate divider unit which is a component of the completed and erected cam'er;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the carrier locked in completed anderected condition;

Fig. 8 is a view in longitudinal vertical section through the carrier of Fig. 7, being along a vertical plane immediately to one side of the central longitudinal partition of the latter; and r Figs. 9 and 10 are, respectively, fragmentary views in vertical transverse section along lines corresponding to lines 99 and 19-10 of Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 1, showing a paperboard blank 10 from which a centrally partitioned, box-like body of the improved carrier is fabricated, the same consists of a sheet of stock died out to provide a bottom forming panel 11 having a first wall and partition forming section 12 hingedly articulated to one side margin thereof, a second wall and partition forming section 13 similarly articulated integrally to the opposite side margin of panel 11, and a handle forming unit 14 integrally articulated to section 13 adjacent the right hand end of the latter. Wall and partition forming sections 12, 13 are very similar in character, hence parts and relationships of the latter which correspond to those of the former will be designated by corresponding reference numerals, primed, and

repeated description thereof will be dispensed with.

Bottom panel 11 is subdivided by a medial longitudinally extending crease 15 into a pair of like panel sections 16, 17, the former of which is integrally hinged to section 12 by a longitudinal crease 18 paralleling crease 15, and the latter of which is integrally hinged by a parallel crease 19 to wall and partition section 13. A pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots 20 are formed in bottom panel 11, extending equidistantly on opposite sides of crease 15. These slots are located alike from one another and from opposite end margins of panel 11. An end locking notch 21 is formed in one of these margins at the end of crease 15.

First wall and partition forming section 12 comprises a rectangular side wall panel 22 having end wall panels 23, 24 integrally hinged to opposite margins thereof by transverse creases 25, 26, respectively. These creases are in transverse alignment with the end margins of bottom panel 11.

A primary longitudinal partition forming panel 27 is integrally hinged by a transverse crease 28 to end wall panel 23 and a secondary longitudinal partition forming panel 29 of less width is similarly hinged by crease 30 to end wall 24. Panel 27 is approximately twice the width of the panel 29, in the longitudinal direction in which the various panels 22, 23, 24, 27 and 29 are connected. It is notched on an inner, bottom defining edge at the approximate midpoint thereof to provide an outwardly directed slot 31 extending about midway of the panel, and its extreme outer end edge is relieved or trimmed back somewhat at 32, again from the approximate midpoint of that edge, for a purpose to be described.

A locking hook 35 is cut in the inner margin of panel 27 adjacent its hinge 28 to end wall 23.

The extreme outer end edge of secondary partition panel 29 is also relieved at 34, it being intended that the trimmed edge portions coact with one another to outline a slot similar to slot 31 when the two panels 27, 29 are 4 placed in edge to edge juxtaposition, as will be further described.

The second wall and partition forming section 13, in addition to structural features corresponding to those of section 12, as described above and designated by corresponding reference numerals, primed, is provided with an outer extension 36 on its secondary partition panel 29', which is in effect an integral flap ultimately becoming a part of the handle structure of the carrier body. Flap 36 has an inwardly notched recess 37 in its outer end edge which is adapted to partially outline a hand hole in the handle when the carrier body is completed. Flap 36 also has a reinforcing element 38 integrally hinged to its upper margin, as viewed in Fig. l, by means of a longitudinal crease 39.

The handle forming unit 14 of blank 10 is separated, in the main, from the remainder of the blank by means of a longitudinally extending slit 40 which defines the upper or outer side edge of end wall panel 24' and side wall panel 22'. However, it may be desired to leave unit 14 rupturably connected at this line, as by means of a small nick 41, for the purpose of better controlling the blank as it passes through a folding and gluing machine. Otherwise, handle unit 14 is integrally connected to the remainder of the blank only by a transverse crease 42 hinging the same to the left hand margin of partition flap 36, the crease 42 being, in effect, an outward extension of crease 3Q. Reinforcing element 38 on flap 36 is separated from unit 14 by a slot 43 extending outwardly from the end of crease 39.

Handle unit 14 comprises a first outer finish panel 44 immediately adjoining wall panels 22', 24', to the former of which is weakly connected by nick 41, and extension 36, to which it is integrally connected by crease 42. A second outer finish panel 45 of substantially greater transverse width is integrally connected to panel 44 by a crease 46 longitudinally paralleling slit 40, and a handle reinforcing flap 47 is integrally hinged to the outer end of panel 44 by a transverse crease 48 similar to crease 42. Flap 47, like flap 35, is notched at 49 to provide an end recess which partially defines a hand hole in the handle when the carrier body is completed. Flap 47 also has an outwardly extending element 50 integrally connected thereto by a longitudinal crease 51, which is in alignment with crease 39 and slightly inward of crease 46.

Further hand hole provisions are made in handle unit 14, in the form of an elongated rectangular aperture 52 within panel 45 and an aperture in panel 44 located in transverse alignment with aperture 52. The aperture in panel 44 is defined by a pair of short parallel slits 53 extending outwardly from separating slit 42 and a longitudinal crease 54 joining the outer ends thereof, thus providing a swingable tab 55 which has an important locking function in the manufacture and use of the carrier.

A second component of the improved carrier, in the illustrated embodiment thereof, is a separate divider insert which is illustrated, per se, in Fig. 6 and is generally designated 56. It comprises a piece of generally rectangular paperboard or corrugated board stock bent in U-shaped outline to provide a bottom engaging base panel 57 having upstanding, cell defining leg panels 58 integrally connected to opposite margins thereof. Panels 58 have medial slots 59 extending downwardly from the upper extremities thereof, and the upper corners and center of the legs are diagonally cropped at 60 to facilitate subsequent insertion of divider 56 in the erected carrier body.

In completing the carrier body from the blank 10 of Fig. l, adhesive is first applied, as indicated by stippling, to the panel 44 of handle unit 14, whereupon the opposed sets of end wall and longitudinal partition panels of the blank, one set comprising end wall panels 23, 23 and primary partition panels 27, 27', and the other set comprising end wall panels 24, 24 and secondary partition panels 29, 29, are folded inwardly as units about the creases 25,25 and 30, 30', respectively. Handle flap 47 and fiap element 50 may be simultaneously folded inwardly with the first set, so that as the result of these manipulations this flap will be adhesively secured to the upper surface of handle panel 44, as will opposite flap 3, the sets of partition and end wall panels 23, 27 and 23', 27 will overlie side wall panels 22, 22', respectively, the secondary partition panels 29, 29 will overlie the respective end wall panels 24, 24', and handle flap elements 38 and 50 will overlie handle panel 45, leaving the blank in the condition illustrated in Fig. 2.

It will be noted in the position last described, the flaps 36 and 47 present inwardly directed shoulder extremities 61, defined by notches 37, 49, adjacent the ends of hand hole tab 55. These shoulders are employed as elements for locking the infolded parts in the initially folded position shown, and this is taken care of by the simple ensuing expedient-of folding hand hole tab 55 upwardly about its hinge crease 54, adhering the same to the exposed gluecl surface of panel 44 and leaving the further perfected carrier body in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3. Tab 55 wraps'aroundthe'shoulders 61, as lilustrated in Fig. 3, with the result that the reinforcing flap 36, 47, as well as the secondary partition panel 29 of which the former is a part, are firmly anchored in place. This holds the blank in unitary, readily controlled condition as it, passes further through the gluing machine.

Adhesive is next applied to the exposed upper surface of flap element 50 on flap 47, on flap element 38 of flap 36, and on the remaining exposed surface of handle panel 45, as indicated by stippling in Fig. 3.

This conditions the body for the ensuing 180 folding of handle panel 45 inwardly about its articulating crease 46, accompanied by corresponding folding of the flap elements 38, 50 about their creases 39, 51, respectively, and the result is that the three members are adhesively secured to the outer exposed surfaces of partition form'- ing panels 27' and 29. The condition referred to is illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 2- and 4, that the infolding of the longitudinal partition panels 27, 27 and 29, 29' brings the free end extremities thereof into immediate edge to edge juxtaposition. The relieved end margins 32, 32 and 34, 34' diverge relative to one another and thereby form slots 62, 62' in the respective composite longitudinal partition members defined by'the panels. They are so located with reference to the other pair of slots 31, 31' that each pair will overlie vertically a bottom slot 20 when the carrier is erected to operative condition. I

The carrier body is completed from the condition of Fig. 4 to a flat, knocked-down condition by simply folding the halves of the blank upon one another about medial bottom crease 50, following a suitable" application of adhesive to the exposed surface of one half, as shown by stippling in Fig. 4. The finished carrier body is shown in Fig. 5.

The carrier body, generally designated 63 in'Figs. 5 and 7-10, inclusive, is erected to an operative condition by simply spreading the side walls 22', 22 relative to one another, in well known fashion, and by engaging the end locking hooks 33-33 at one end wall in the notch 21 of bottom panel 11. This brings the slots 31, 31 and 62, 62' into approximate vertical alignment with the bottom slots 20. Divider insert 56 is now thrust upwardly through the last named slots, its upwardly facing slot 59 nesting with the slots in the longitudinal partition, with the base 57 of insert 56 coming into surface engagement with the bottom of carrier body 63. This effectively braces the body in a truly rectangular outline, imparting great stability to the unit and making it ideally suited for gravity loading by automatic bottle loading equipment, either in the plant of a bottle manufacturer or in a bottling establishment.

The carrier features a full length, full depth longitudinal partition, generally designated 64 in Fig. 7, this being due to the fact that the provisions for slotting the same involve an edge abutment relationship of its component panels 27, 27' and 29, 29'. These panels are rigidly locked in a unitary relationship by the adhesion thereto of handle panels 44 and 45 and the flaps and flap elements associated therewith, a locking which is further enhanced by the positive interlock of the hand hole tab 55 with the flaps 36, 47. The handle is rigid and board-like, as best illustrated in Figs. 9 and '10, and partition 64 is additionally braced and rigidified by its nested interfit with the bottom insert 56.

A substantial saving is made in the cost of production of the improved carrier due to the economy made possible by the use of the blank shown in Fig. l, preliminarily manipulated and secured in the fashion shown in Fig. 2. The production of a second pair of insert-receiving notches or slots similar to the notches or slots 31, 31' by abutting panels 29, 29' .edgewise against panels 27, 27, with relieved lower edge portions constitutingthe notches or slots in question, signifies that a blank of subtantially less horizontal or longitudinal dimension can be employed than would be possible if both sets of notches were formed within the ends of the material of panels 27, 27 or panels 29, 29, the sets of panels then being secured in coplanar relation. While the saving in the case of each' blank is small, indeed, the aggregate saving in the production of carriers in the millions is substantial and, moreover, a material factor in the cost and selling price of article carriers of this type, which are marketed at a very small profit margin.

I claim:

1. A paperboard article carrier comprising a box-like article receiving body defined by opposed pairs of side and end walls and subdivided internally by a longitudinal partition extending parallel to said sidewalls, anda bottom connected to bottom margins of a pair of said walls and provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots paralleling said end walls, and a divider insert having a pair of upstanding separator panels insorted through said respective slots to further subdivide said body internally, said partition comprising a pair of panels of unequal longitudinal dimension extending inwardly from said respective end walls and disposed with inner end margins thereof in coplanar relation, the longer of said longitudinal partition panels having an upwardly extending slot formed in the bottomand between the ends thereof, portions of said panel end margins being spaced longitudinally from one another at the bottom thereof to provide a second upwardly extending relatively narrow slot in the longitudinal partition, said longitudinal partition having a handle panel connected thereto, which handle panel depends into overlapped relation to said longitudinal partition and is secured to the panels thereof to hold the inner margins of said panels in coplanar relation thereby to define said second partition slot, said partition slots being vertically aligned with said bottom slots when the carrier is erected, and said divider insert panel being received in the partition panel slots.

2. A paperboard article carrier comprising a box-like article receiving body defined by opposed pairs of side and end walls and subdivided internally by a longitudinal partition extending parallel to said side walls, and a bottom connected to bottom margins of a pair of said walls and provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots paralleling said end walls, and a divider insert having a pair of upstanding separator panels inserted through said respective slots to further subdivide.

said body internally, said partition comprising a pair of panels of unequal longitudinal dimension extending inwardly from said respective end walls and disposed with inner end margins thereof in coplanar relation and in approximately edge to edge juxtaposition, the longer of said longitudinal partition panels having an upwardly extending slot formed in the bottom and between the ends thereof,

at least one of said partition panels being relieved at its bottom and at said inner end margin thereof to space the same from the other partition panel and thus provide a second upwardly extending relatively narrow slot in the longitudinal partition, said longitudinal partition having a handle panel connected thereto, which handle panel de pends into overlapped relation to said longitudinal partition and is secured to the panels thereof to hold the inner margins of said panels in coplanar relation thereby to define said second partition slot, said partition slots being vertically aligned with said bottom slots when the carrier is erected and said divider insert panel being received in the partition panel slots.

3. A paperboard article carrier comprising a box-like article receiving body defined by opposed pairs of side and end walls, a bottom connected to bottom margins of a pair of said walls and provided with a transversely extending slot paralleling said end walls, said body being subdivided internally by a longitudinal center partition extending parallel to said side walls, and a divider insert having an upstanding panel inserted through said slot to further subdivide said body internally, said longitudinal partition comprising a pair of panels hingedly connected with said end walls and extending inwardly therefrom, said longitudinal partition panels being disposed with inner end margins thereof in juxtaposed aligned coplanar relation, the bottom end edges of the inner end margins of said longitudinal partition panels being spaced longitudinally from one another to provide an upwardly extending relatively narrow slot forming space therebetween, which slot forming space is positioned in vertically aligned relation with said bottom slot when the carrier is erected, said divider insert panel being received in upstanding relation in said slot forming space, and a reinforcing panel connected along the top portions of said longitudinal partition panels and holding said panels in aligned coplanar relation. 1

4. A paperboard article carrier comprising a box-like article receiving body defined by opposed pairs of side and end walls, a bottom connected to bottom margins of a pair of said walls and provided with a transversely extending slot paralleling said end walls, an upstanding longitudinal partition extending parallel to said side walls and internally subdividing said body, and a divider in- Sen having an upstanding panel inserted through said slot to further subdivide said body internally, said longitudinal partition comprising a pair of panels hinged to the respective end walls and extending inwardly therefrom, said longitudinal partition panels being disposed with inner end margins thereof in aligned coplanar relation and in approximate edge to edge juxtaposition, at least one of said inwardly extending partition panels being relieved at its end margin adjacent the bottom of said longitudinal partition to space the same longitudinally from the terminal edge of the other partition panel whereby to provide an upwardly opening relatively narrow slot in the partition, said partition slot being vertically aligned with said bottom slot when the carrier is erected and said inserted divider panel being received in the partition slot, and a handle unit vertically aligned with said longitudinal partition, said handle unit having a depending panel portion overlapping the upper portions of said longitudinal partition panels andbeing secured thereto to hold thetsam'e in fixedjrelation to one another.

5. A paperboard article carrier comprising a box-like article receiving body defined by opposed pairs of side andiend walls, a bottom connected to bottom'margins of a pair of said walls and provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots paralleling said end walls, a longitudinal partition subdividing said body internally, and a divider insert having a pair of up standing'separator panels inserted through said respective bottom slots to further subdivide said body internally, said partition comprising a pair of panels of unequal longitudinal dimension extending inwardly from said respective end walls and disposed with inner end margins hereof in coplanar aligned relation'and in approximate edge to edge juxtaposition, the longer of said longitudinal partition panels having an upwardly extending slot formed in the bottom and between the ends thereof, at least one of said partition panels being relieved at the bottom portionof said inner end margin thereof to space the same from the end margin of the other partition panel whereby to provide a second upwardly extending relatively narrow slot in the longitudinal partition, said partition slots being vertically aligned with said bottom slots when the carrieris erected and said divider insert panel being received inthe partition panel slots, and said longitudinal partition having a handle unit extending above the same with 21 depending panel portion overlapping and connected to the upper portions of said longitudinal partition panels to hold the same in fixed relation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,985 Wilkins July 7, 1936 2,354,528 Lowey et al July 25, 1944 2,537,452 Forrer Jan. 9, 1951 2,537,615 Arneson Ian. 9, 1951 2,576,179 Holy Nov. 27, 1951 2,593,135 Gilbert a, Apr. 15, 1952 2,594,377 Arneson Apr. 29, 1952 2,616,611 Arneson Nov. 4, 1952 2,664,235 Champlin et a1. Dec' 29, 1953 2,675,157 Turner et a1. Apr. 13, 1954 2,686,003 Forrer Aug. 10, 1954 r 2,709,535 Bergstein May 31, 1955 

